Industry body Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade (COOIT) has estimated mustard output for the current rabi season at a record 113 lakh tonnes (lt), marginally up from its preliminary assessment of 110 lt last month.
The Union Agriculture Ministry has estimated this year’s mustard crop production at 114.6 lt from an estimated area of over 91 lakh hectare.
“The total production of mustard and rapeseed crops will be 113 lt, which includes toria and taramira crops too,” an official of COOIT said. As the government estimates of area under toria, a mustard-type oilseed grown in Uttar Pradesh, is four lakh hectares which is lower than trade estimate, its production has been based on official acreage data, the official said indicating a further upward revision in next estimate.
While releasing the state-wise production estimate of mustard at the end of the two-day annual rabi conference on Sunday, COOIT said Rajasthan, the top producer, could see 51 lt (including 1.5 lt under taramira) of mustard being produced, followed by 17 lt in Uttar Pradesh (2 lt under toria included). Madhya Pradesh ‘s production is pegged at 12.5 lt.
Speaking at the event, P K Rai, Director of ICAR’s Directorate of Rapeseed-Mustard Research, said: “India’s mustard output can be increased by 30-35 per cent if yield gap (between States and varieties) is breached. There is potential to achieve this objective.” He also asked mustard oil processors to form a consortium of representatives from industry, farmers and research bodies and work in close association with extension staff of States.
Rai also said the lower yield is caused by several factors like weather impact (temperature increase), non-availability of seeds in time and production technology. An increase in temperature in February leads to maturity of crop before normal period, he added.
According to COOIT estimates, the yield in Rajasthan this year is expected to be 1.46 tonnes per hectare against 0.74-0.79 tonne per hectare in the eastern States of West Bengal, Assam and Odisha.